In the what have you done for me lately world of international basketball tournaments, where games come rapid fire, Canada’s resounding win over Brazil on Sunday is already a memory.

All thoughts have turned to Tuesday’s tilt against Uruguay, a game that is just as important. There can be no resting on laurels, no overconfidence. Not with so much on the line.

Another victory to close the opening round-robin portion of the FIBA Americas would ensure Canada enters the next phase 2-1 and would enhance the odds of advancing further. Victories against teams previously eliminated do not carry forward.

The squad has been able to come together and play well quicker than most anticipated.

That’s largely been because of how good Pickering’s Cory Joseph has been. While manning the point, Joseph has been treating opponents like his adversaries in the NBA Development League, where he was a standout months ago. He’s been stuffing the stat sheet, racking up points and assists, even leading Canada in rebounding against Brazil. Joseph looks like a veteran on the court. Reaching the NBA Final and being developed by the league’s best organization, San Antonio, has been huge for the former first-round pick. And he’s playing like a star. Practising every day against MVP candidate Tony Parker surely has something to do with that, as well.

Even though he’s the youngest player on the team, Joseph is used to making an impact alongside older teammates. He did it at Pickering Collegiate as a varsity starter alongside players like his brother Devoe, now a teammate again with Canada and he’s done it with the Spurs.

Joseph heads into Tuesday in the top 10 in tournament scoring (fifth), rebounding (ninth) and steals (sixth) and leads in assists even though he has also played off of the ball.

While his minute count could catch up with him as the tournament winds on, head coach Jay Triano and his staff have done a good job so far of finding opportunities to get his starters some rest.

It has helped considerably that Joseph’s backup, Toronto’s Jermaine Anderson, the team’s long-time starter, has been excellent as well. Triano singled him out two games ago, even though he played only three minutes, then gave him a long run against Brazil and Anderson responded.

Though it’s unlikely Joseph and Anderson will continue racking up assists and points while rarely turning the ball over, as has been the case so far, even if they can continue at close to the same level, Canada will be in good shape most nights.

Aside from the fourth-quarter collapse Saturday against Puerto Rico, the team has impressed and Triano’s decisions have been working well. The coach has made it clear all summer that everybody on the team (and even those absent this time around) has a role and should be ready. Vets like Anderson, Aaron Doornekamp (Nepean, Ont.) and Jevohn Shepherd (Toronto) have gone from sitting entire games to stepping in the next day and playing key roles. Doornekamp and Shepherd’s physicality gave Brazil issues.

A repeat performance by the squad against Uruguay will put Canada in its best position in years, but it won’t be easy, as Uruguay sits at 2-1 as well and has been getting fine play out of ex-NBA centre Esteban Batista.